Machine for manufacturing spirally wound straws or tubes



March 28, 1950 A. A. HEYMANY MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING SPIRALLY WOUND STRAWS 0R TUBES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 24, 1947 mm. o h

O mm. x? o o mm o V2 INVENTOH,

TTORNEY,

@Z berZAbaHe March 28, 1950 Filed Jan. 24, 1947 A. A. HEYMAN 2,501,938 MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING SPIRALLY WOUND STRAWS OR TUBES 3 Sheets -Sheet 2 INVENTOH, AZberZ Ab e Heymaw,

ATTORNEY.)

A. A. HEYMAN MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING SPIRALLY WOUND STRAWS OR TUBES March 28, 1950 Filed Jan. 24,1947

INUENTOR. A1502? Aba fiqyma/n,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 28, 1950 MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING SPI- RALLY WOUND STRAWS OR TUBES Albert Aba Heyman, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Joseph Shapiro, Baltimore, Md.

Application January 24, 1947, Serial No. 723,985

6 Claims.

My invention, which relates principally to machines for making spirally wound straws from paper strips, has for its objects:

1. To improve the machine disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,911,298, issued May 30, 1933, and No. 1,967,171, issued July 17, 1934.;

2. To provide an improved belt tensioning device, so as always to maintain a substantially constant tension on the belt regardless of its stretch;

3. To provide an improved tube-cutting mechanism;

4. To provide means whereby the lengths of straws cut off can be instantly and conveniently changed as desired by the attendant, thereby making it possible to cut straws of various desired lengths without stopping the machine; in consequence of which the wastage due to trimming is reduced to an almost negligible amount;

5. In general, to improve previous machines so as to reduce manufacturing costs and maintename, and increase the efliciency of the machines.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part will appear from the following description.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, invention further resides in the novel details of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts, all of which will first be described and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a machine embodying m invention, the glueing unit being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

r Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail elevation of the adjustable belt pulley unit, looking in the directionof the arrow a in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of the cutting mechanism, looking from left to right in Figs. 1 and 2.

-Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail of the speed ad justing pulley of the cutting mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of a modification.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view of the driving pulley for the belt speed adjustment.

. Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail end view of the arm and knife blade, a portion of the final straw guide being shown in dotted lines.

In the drawings, in which like numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures, I represents the bed of the machine which is supported on a frame composed 0i upper 2 horizontal angles 3, lower horizontal angles 4, and legs 2.

Secured in a fixed position on the bed is a cross-head 5 at one end of which is welded a vertical plate 6 to which a shaft bearing 1 is secured.

A gear box 8 is mounted on legs 2, 2 and has bearings 9 for a counter shaft I!) on which is a V-type pulley 1|, later again referred to. A bearing I3 on the box 8 assists bearing 1 in sup porting the driving shaft l2 of the stationarily located belt pulley M. The shafts H] and I2 are connected by bevel gears Referring particularly to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, it will be seen that l5 indicates a sliding carriage having a T-head I8 in the form of a plate which slides on ways I! welded to the sides of the inverted U-shaped cross head 5. The carriage includes pairs of bearing lugs l8 which carry rock shafts l9 on which parallel links 23 are pivoted. The carriage Is also includes a lug 44 having a bearing for an adjusting screw 45 that is threaded into a 111g 41 on the cross head 5 and is swivelly connected with the lug 44 as at 46.

The links 23 are secured to rock shafts 22 journalled in the bearing lugs 2 of a pulley carriage 20. The carriage has a bored boss 24 to the lower end of which is secured a tapped plate 25 into which the threaded end of the pulley spindle 26 is threaded (see Fig. 5). The spindle 26 has two spaced enlargements 21, 28 to fit the bore of the boss 24 in which the spindle is held vertically adjustable by the screw connection 39 with plate 25 and by a set screw 29. The second belt pulley 3| is journalled on the spindle 26 on a ball bearing 36 and is held in place between the enlargement 2! and a cap 32 that is secured to the end of the spindle 26 by a screw 35 and is held from turning on the spindle by a pin or pins 34. The cap has recesses 33 to receive a rod by means of which, when set screw 29 is released, the spindle may be turned to ad just it (and consequently the pulley 3|) up or down.

A sprocket chain 38 has one of its ends welded or otherwise suitably secured to a lug 31 on the carriage 29. .The chain passes over a sprocket 39 on a shaft 40 journalled in a bracket 4| that is welded on the cross-head 5. The chain passes down through a slot 42 in the top of the crosshead 5 and carries a weight 43. An adjustable stop 43 is threaded into bracket 4| to be engaged.

by the carriage 20, should the belt break.

' The gear box 8 has an extension with a bearing 49 for the drive shaft 59 for the glue-applying mechanism (not shown). The shaft is driven via a sprocket and chain connection H2 with shaft I0. See dotted lines, Fig. 1.

The mandrel 52 is mounted on a bracket 5| and may be of the usual construction. The glue applying mechanism may be substantially the same as that disclosed in Pat. No. 1,967,171

aforesaid.

The usual belt 53 is passed about the pulleys l4 and 3|, one flight being twisted around the mandrel. The usual intermediate straw guides 54 are provided. The end guide 55, however, has an elongated tubular shank 56 adjustably held by set screw 60 in the support 59 and having its outer end provided with a fiat edge 58 and a tapered portion 5'! adjacent thereto. (See Figs. 1 and 2.)

A bearing bracket 6! is secured to the base I and carries a crank shaft 62 on which is a disc 63 having a wrist pin 64 to which one end of an arm 88 is pivoted. The arm is slotted and a bolt 66 passes through a slide block 61, through the slot in the arm and into an extension of the bracket BI to constitute a shifting pivot for the arm 68. The arm 68 carries a knife blade 69 removably held in place by a suitable clamp is.

The knife blade 69 is of generally triangular cross section and is held with the fiat side of the blade canted at an approximate angle of 25 degrees to the outer vertical edge 58 of the guide 56 in order to permit the continuous straw to advance witl out interference by the knife blade 69.

The mechanism for driving the belt pulley I4 is best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by reference to which it will be seen that a V-pulley II is secured on shaft if), over which pulley an endless V-belt l2 passes. The belt I2 also passes about a two-part V-pulleys 15, IE on the shaft 14 of a motor I3. One part I5 of the two-part pulley is fixed on the shaft, while the other part I6 is continuously pushed toward the part 15 by a suitable spring (See lugs on a cross bar 80, and shaft 8! as a hinge joint. Other lugs 82 on the other end of plate I8 have bearing holes for the trunnion shaft 84 of a block 83. The block 83 is bored and tapped to receive a screw shaft 89. The screw has a swivel connection with another block 8'! whose trunnion shaft 88 is mounted in lugs 86 on a plate secured to a suitable standard 85. The screw shaft 89 is connected to an adjusting shaft 9| by a universal joint 90. The shaft BI passes through a bearing hole in the bed I and carries a crank disc 92 which is provided with a suitable combined spring-plunger-latch and handle 93. The bed I has a suitably located recess 94, or recesses, for the end of the spring latch to enter and hold the disc 92 from accidentally turning,

By turning the disc 92, shaft 9! and screwshaft 89 may be turned in either direction to raise or lower the motor I3 toward or from pulley II and thereby decrease or increase the speed of pulley II, and consequently that of the belt pulley I i, and also of the glue-applying apparatus driving shaft 62. The operation of adjusting shaft 9| serves. by increasing or decreasing the speed of the winding belt 53, the cut-off mechanisms speed being unchanged, to provide for the cutting of longer or shorter straws from the continuous tube.

The same effect may be accomplished by changing the speed of the cutting mechanism and letting the forming mechanism run at a fixed speed, as will presently more fully appear.

The mechanism for driving the cutter or knife will now be explained, reference being made to Figs. 1, 2 and 6 of the drawings.

A platform I00 is adjustably suspended by slotted arms IIJI secured by cap screws I04 to arms I02 depending from a plate I03 that is welded to the bed I; a suitable motor I05 is mounted on the platform. On the motor shaft is a two-part V-type pulley, one part Ill'I of which is fast on the motor shaft, while the other part N39 is threaded on the threaded portion I08 of the motor shaft and is adjustably held by a set screw ID.

A gear box 95 is mounted on the plate I03 and has a driving shaft 96 suitably geared to a driven shaft 9?. The shaft 96 has a V-type pulley 99. A V-belt HI passes about the pulleys 99 and I01, Hi9.

By raising or lowering the motor platform and adjusting pulley section I09 toward or from section IO'I, the speed at which shaft 96 is driven. may be varied as desired.

The shaft 52 hereinbefore mentioned is connected to shaft 9! by a flexible coupling 98. Thus the shaft 91 turns shaft 62 at the same speed.

In lieu of the adjustable pulley arrangement shown in Fig. '7. a pulley 15* similar to that I5, I6, etc. shown in Fig. 9 may be used on shaft H16 in which event a belt tightener I I3 may be used and controlled by a screw H4 swivelly connected at I I5 to the belt tightener and threaded through a suitable bracket H6. When the belt tightener (shown in Fig. 8) is used the cap screws I84 may be left tight and no frame adjustments need be made.

It is essential that the pulleys I4 and 3! line up properly with the horizontal plane of the mandrel. The construction shown in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive enables this alignment to be maintained at all times. After placing a belt around the pulleys M and 3| and winding it about the mandrel, screw 43 is backed off to clear the carriage 20. Should the arms 23 be found out of vertical, they are brought to the vertical by adjusting screw 45. The weight 48 exerts a constant tension on the belt. If pulley 3| is too high or too low when arms 23 are vertical, spindle 26 is lowered or raised accordingly by turning the spindle after which the spindle is again locked with the set screw 29.

Attention is called to the way in which the knife blade 69 moves. It is travelling faster on its down-stroke than on its up-stroke and imparts a combined draw-cut-and-chop action on the straw to sever it.

The motors I3 and I I35 are run at fixed or predetermined speeds which are not changed in order to adjust the machine to make straws of different lengths; therefore the machine may always be run to deliver its maximum output.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation and advantages of my invention will be clear to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a spirally-wound-tube-making machine wherein is provided a support on which are mounted a horizontally disposed pair of belt pulleys and a belt passed around the pulleys the improvement which comprises a stationary support for one of said belt pulleys, an adjustable slidable carriage mounted on said support, means for adjusting said carriage toward or from said stationary support, a pulley carriag for the other belt pulley, parallel links connecting said carriages together, and means continuously tending to move said pulley carriage in a direction away from said stationary support, thereby to maintain a uniform tension on the spinning belt.

2. In a spirally-wound-tube-making machine wherein is provided a support on which are mounted a horizontally disposed pair of belt pulleys and a belt passed around the pulleys the improvement which comprises a stationary support for one of said belt pulleys, an adjustable slidable carriage mounted on said support, means for adjusting said carriage toward or from said stationary support, a pulley carriage for the other belt pulley, parallel links connecting said carriages together, means continuously tending to move said pulley carriage in a direction away from said stationary support, thereby to maintain a uniform tension on the spinnin belt, and means for mounting said other belt pulley on said pulley carriage, said last-named means including a spindle vertically adjustably held in said pulley carriage and on which spindle said other belt pulley is journalled, and means by which said spindle may be moved axially for adjustment purposes, and means to hold said spindle in its adjusted positions against accidental displacement.

3. In a spirally-wound-tube-making machine wherein an endless belt passes over two separated belt pulleys mounted on a support and means is provided for continuously tending to separate said pulleys to effect a constant tension on said belt, the improvement which comprises a slidable carriage mounted on said support for movement in a direction from one pulley toward the other, means for effecting adjusting movement of said carriage, a pulley carriage for one of said pulleys vertically spaced from said slidable carriage, parallel links connecting said carriages together, and means continuously tending to move said pulley carriage in a direction to apply tension to said belt.

4. In a spirally-wound-tube-making machine wherein an endless belt passes over two separated belt pulleys mounted on a support and means is provided for continuously tending to separate said pulleys to effect a constant tension on said belt, the improvement which comprises a slidable carriage mounted on said support for movement in a direction from one pulley toward the other, means for effecting adjusting movement of said carriage, a pulley carriage for one of said pulleys vertically spaced from said slidable carriage, parallel links connecting said carriages together, means continuously tending to move said pulley carriage in a direction to apply tension to said belt, and a back-stop mounted on said support for engagement by said pulley carriage when no continuous belt is on said pulleys.

5. In a spirally-wound-tube-making machine wherein an endless belt passes over two separated belt pulleys mounted on a support and means is provided for continuously tending to separate said pulleys to eflect a constant tension on said belt, the improvement which comprises a slidable carriage mounted on said support for movement in a direction from one pulley toward the other, means for effecting adjusting movement of said carriage, a pulley carriage for one of said pulleys vertically spaced from said slidable carriage, parallel links connecting said carriages together, means continuously tending to move said pulley carriage in a direction to apply tension to said belt, said pulley carriage having a bore, a spindle mounted in said bore, a threaded element carried by said pulley carriage, said spindle having a threaded portion cooperating with said threaded element for adjusting said spindle axially in said bore, said one of said pulleys being journalled on said spindle, and means on the outer end of said spindle by which it may be turned for adjustment and means to hold said spindle in its adjusted positions against accidental displacement.

6. In a spirally-Wound-tube-making machine wherein an endless belt passes over two separated belt pulleys mounted on a support and means is provided for continuously tending to separate said pulleys to eiiect a constant tension on said belt, the improvement which com prises a slidable carriage mounted on said support for movement in a direction from one pulley toward the other, means for eifecting adjusting movement of said carriage, a pulley carriage for one of said pulleys vertically spaced from said slidable carriage, parallel links connecting said carriages together, means continuouslytending to move said pulley carriage in a direction to apply tension to said belt, said pulley carriage having a bore, a spindle mounted in said bore, a threaded element carried by said pulley carriage, said spindle having a threaded portion cooperating with said threaded element for adjusting said spindle axially in said bore, said one of said pulleys being journalled on said spindle, means on the outer end of said spindle by which it may be turned for adjustment and means to hold said spindle in its adjusted positions against accidental displacement, and a back-stop mounted on said support for engagement by said pulley carriage when no continuous belt is on said pulleys.

ALBERT ABA HEYMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

